Indonesian President Abdurrahman Wahid said Friday he had ordered the arrest of the youngest son of former president Suharto in connection with a spate of lethal bombings in Jakarta.

But while police said they were seeking to question the son, "Tommy" Hutomo Mandala Putra, on the bombings, there were no immediate plans to arrest him.

"I have given instructions during yesterday's cabinet meeting to arrest Tommy Suharto," Wahid told a congregation at the mosque where he was performing Friday prayers.

Tommy, a wealthy 37-year-old businessman, is the second youngest of Suharto's six children.

"We have tried to reach Tommy .... we are going to ask him for information" on the bombing of the Jakarta Stock Exchange, police spokesman Superintendant Nur Usman told AFP.

But Usman repeated statements made earlier to AFP by his deputy, Saleh Saaf, that Tommy could not be arrested unless there was evidence linking him to the blast.

"We cannot pick him up just like that because there is not yet any initial evidence that could tie him with the bomb blast."

"We have to start at the scene of the crime, and use whatever we can collect there for leads."

Later, while visiting victims of Wednesday's bomb attack at Pertamina hospital, Wahid failed to clarify the status of the order.

"In the cabinet, we'll see whether this order (will) be carried out or not," Wahid replied in English, without elaborating.

Speculation has been rife that five recent bombings in the Indonesian capital were connected with the corruption trial of Tommy's father, a former army general who ruled the country with an iron fist for 32 years.

Journalists at Tommy's house, on the same street in downtown Jakarta as Suharto, said 20 of his black-clad body guards were posted outside.

Suharto's lawyer, Juan Felix Tampubolon, confirmed to AFX-Asia, an AFP financial affiliate, that son Tommy was in the city.